1. Field
The following description relates to a compact and controlled lens antenna to enable continuous directivity variation in a mobile communication equipment operating in a millimeter range.
2. Description of Related Art
In a development and manufacturing of semi-conductor integrated circuits (IC), one of the many focuses in recent years has been to reduce a size of the IC by reducing in size while increasing a number components being integrated in the IC, thereby increasing a package density of the IC and providing a maximum operating frequency. Production of high-frequency broad-band ICs both for commercial use and for the consumer electronic equipment became economically justified with the appearance of silicon ICs having a large functionality on higher frequencies at smaller dimensions and at lower cost. High-frequency broad-band elements based on IC are applied now in the communicators working on small distances in a millimeter range of an order of 24 GHz-60 GHz, and in the automobile radar working in a range of 24 GHz-77 GHz. These elements are appealing because they are designed to operate at or near “millimeter-wave” frequencies (3 to 300 gigahertz). Cellular networks have always occupied bands lower on the spectrum, where carrier waves tens of centimeters long (hundreds of megahertz) pass easily around obstacles and through the air. But this spectrum is heavily used, making it difficult for operators to acquire more of it. Presently, operating frequencies of commercial communications and radar applications have reached an upper range limit of radio band, having extended to millimeter waves.
Ultra-compact antennas have been developed based on IC to operate in millimeter range. However, one of the many drawbacks of existing ultra-compact antennas is that they allow executing only discrete switching of directivity. For smooth scanning in known solutions the increasing of number of antennas on IC is required that leads to increasing of the dimensions of IC, thereby producing a larger and more expensive IC.